John Weeks

In this archived broadcast from March 27, 1987, John Weeks answers questions that have piled up over the previous winter. Weeks answers questions about geese behavior, skunk cabbage smells, and red-winged blackbirds.

In this archived broadcast from February 20, 1987, John Weeks and local ornithologist Jerry Smith discuss the invasion of snowy owls in Oswego County. The conversation details why the owls migrate to Oswego County, what the birds look like, how they live, and where one might find the birds.

In this archived broadcast from January 16, 1987, John Weeks reads a phone conversation he had while writing newspaper articles. The caller and Weeks discuss birds, trees, and nature, noting their different qualities including feeding, nesting, lifestyles, and the territories they inhabit.

Have you ever wondered why we use mistletoe, wreaths, and other ornaments to celebrate the holiday season? Nature may have more of an influence then you might think. Host John Weeks tells nature's holiday story on this archived episode of "Nature of Things," originally aired December 20, 1985.

Plants die off, the ground freezes over, and animals go into hibernation. Although this description of winter may sound dreadful, these aspects are needed to keep our ecosystem in check. On this episode of "Nature of Things" from February 26, 1988, host John Weeks explains why sometimes a tough winter can be a good thing.

According to biostatistics, warmer seasons produce the most beneficial characteristics to the environment. However, winter has many positive aspects that can not be measured in numbers. On this archived episode of the "Nature of Things" from January 27, 1984, host John Weeks discusses the beautiful sights, camaraderie, and fun that can be brought about by winter.

Bird watching can be both a relaxing and fascinating hobby. In this archived edition of the "Nature of Things," host John Weeks reveals how you can do this locally. Although originally aired Februrary 24, 1984, much of the same rules apply.

When it comes to wildlife, Africa is plentiful--home to some of the largest creatures known to man. In this archived broadcast of the "Nature of Things" from January 13, 1984, host John Weeks speaks with Dr. Jack Calvert about his adventure through Africa.

With winter underway, an archived broadcast of the "Nature of Things" from February 3, 1984 helps explain how lake effect storms form. Host John Weeks and weather expert Dr. Alfred Stam, dive into the science behind it, while also sharing some fun facts. Find out the only other region in the world, besides the Finger Lakes, that may experience lake effect storms.

In this archived broadcast from November 13, 1992, John Weeks discusses the beauty of November, despite the loss of life that comes with the beginning of winter. Weeks remarks on how the fall and winter are necessary to bring about spring and tells a series of anecdotes about his discovery of various bird nests in the late autumn.

In this archived broadcast from October 9, 1987, John Weeks discusses the common loon and the decrease in the species population. Weeks touches on the causes of this decrease, the increased interest in the bird, loon behavior, and its incredible voice, including his own account of hearing a loon song.

In this archived broadcast from September 16, 1988, John Weeks talks about the negative perception surrounding hawks and owls, particularly the red tailed hawk. Weeks talks about the bird's history and his own relationship with attempting to protect the species.

In this archived broadcast from June 25, 1992, John Weeks speaks about bird songs and their qualities. Songs by different species of thrush, wrens, thrasher and others are interspersed throughout the talk. Weeks examines each song, touching on qualities such as tone and energy.

In this archived broadcast from April 25, 2003, John Weeks discusses how spending his youth on a farm shaped his love of sparrows. Weeks talks about his own enjoyment of the bird and describes how to find them in order to listen to their songs.

In this archived broadcast from April 18, 1987, John Weeks continues to discuss his trip on the East Coast. Weeks discusses his visit Bombay Hook, touching on the wildlife he spotted and giving a brief history of the refuge.

In this archived broadcast from April 10, 1987, John Weeks details his trip down the East Coast for the National Science Teachers Association in Washington, D.C. He speaks about various natural landmarks that he came across including the Barrier Dunes, nesting ospreys, and Chesapeake Bay.

In this archived broadcast from April 8, 1988, John Weeks discusses the mating rituals of salamanders. Weeks speaks about the appearance and behavior of salamanders, and delves deep into the mating cycles of salamanders.

In this archived broadcast from June 18, 1992, John Weeks talks about the sounds that different birds make and what each sound actually means to that bird and fellow birds around it. He talks about how every bird's sound is unique and what makes them different.

John Weeks tells us about the signs of winter we can find so early on. Sitting at the shore on Lake Ontario he is able to define trends with only one week of winter to go by. Wildlife is remarkably good at giving signs of the weather that will soon approach and John Weeks discusses them.

This episode of Nature of Things was originally aired December 23rd, 1990.

John Weeks discusses deep winter weathers that arrive around times of the year like this one. Animals have to face severe conditions to survive in these cold harsh winters. The sub-freezing temperatures characterize the weather conditions upstate New York. Seasonal shedding is an annoyance to pet owners but it is an adaption to this weather. Wild animals find way to adapt to the weather too. Just like we have clothing that helps us adapt to weather, animals too have natural adaptions to weather that help them prepare for the seasons to come.

John Weeks talks about bellwethers. In previous episodes he used the term, but never actually defined it. He reveals that term refers to a sheep, usually a gelded male. He wears a bell around his neck and is a leader for a flock of sheep and an indicator for the whereabouts of the flock in extremely foggy weather conditions. This was all he could find about the term and it was not even in the encyclopedia or other resources he looked in for the term. He had to “wing it” from there and elaborated on the definition based on his own experiences.

John Weeks talks about his knowledge of the opossum. During an early morning road trip he saw an opossum about to cross the road where cars were steadily driving and quickly turned around to avoid getting hit. Anybody that drives and has seen a possum on the road knows that there slow pace makes them vulnerable which increases their rate of road kill. At one point they were so rare that people did not believe he actually saw them, but that has changed now.

This episode of Nature of Things was originally aired December 12th, 1991.

John Weeks informs us about one of the most intelligent bears, the black bear. This bear was known to pioneers as attacking their mammals and taking them as food. He talks about fear he felt while in the woods. While making his way back home on a camping trip he heard a lot of noise, and thought it was a pig. Only the end trail of a bear was left behind when he went to the location where the scuffling was heard. He describes bears as a big appetite wrapped up in a powerful body. He found that even a dead bear is hard to handle because of its weight.

John Weeks discusses the change in a duck’s body from season to season. He recognizes the differentiations between female ducks and male ducks. He observes ducks playing in a pond before these ponds freeze due to the cold weather. He observes other animals that will be in hiding very soon as winter is approaching rapidly.

This episode of Nature of Things was originally aired November 21st, 1991.

John Weeks discusses reliving taking trips down roads to see the wildlife we will not see until next season as the weather gets colder. Stopping at major vistas he has previously visited he can always predict what he is going to see. As the hunting season carries on there are more white tail deer seen during the day. Deer are most interesting during these days as winter sets in. There is always a tad bit of new learning or reinforcing of something he thought he knew at these vistas. Weeks tells us of his interesting findings.